Spring engaging hook assembly for brake spring tools



y 6, 1950 F. J. BRUGMANN 2,507,622

SPRING ENGAGING HOOK ASSEMBLY FOR BRAKE SPRING TOOLS Filed Oct. 29, 1948 40 flaw/f MBrq amann Patented May 16, 1950 OFFICE SPRING ENGAGING HOOK ASSEMBLY FOR BRAKE SPRING TOOLS Frank J. Brugmann, Greeley, 0010.

Application October 29, 1948, Serial No. 57,257

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in hand tools for removing and applying the brake springs of automotive vehicles, and more particularly to an improved spring hook assembly for such a tool. I have also filed application Serial No. 611,818 on August 21, 1945, and now abandoned, and application Serial No. 768,151 on August 12, 1947, for similar devices.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved brake spring tool including a plier or tong device having on one jaw a pointed finger engageable in a spring receiving brake shoe aperture, and a spring engaging hook assembly on its opposite jaw, which hook assembly is operated to firmly engage brake springs of various sizes and shapes for assembling the springs with or removing them from brake mechanisms, which includes at least one removable part for applying gripping pressure to springs engaged thereby so that the springs may be turned and otherwise manipulated by the tool, and which assembly is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, and effective to greatly facilitate the application and removal of brake springs.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of a brake spring plier showing the application thereto of a brake spring hook assembly illustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the brake spring hook assembly illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the spring hook assembly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, showing a fragmentary portion of a plier jaw in operative association with the hook assembly;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the spring hook assembly and jaw fragment illustrated in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the opposite side of the spring hook assembly and jaw fragment illustrated in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a front elevation similar to Figure 3, showing a somewhat modified form of spring hook assembly;

Figure 7 is a top plan view similar to Figure 2 and showing the modified form of hook assembly illustrated in Figure 6 with a brake spring operatively engaged thereby; and

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 4 of the modified form of spring hook assembly and showing the hook assembly operatively engaging a brake spring of a diiferent form from that illustrated in Figure '7.

With continued reference to the drawing, the pliers or tongs, generally indicated at 10, comprise a pair of spaced apart, elongated side members each having a substantially straight handle portion H and a curved end portion l2, the two curved end portions being directed away from each other sothat the ends of the curved portions are positioned somewhat outwardly of the corresponding handles ll. Each side member is provided in the end of its curved portion with an aperture and with a second aperture in its handle portion near the corresponding curved end portions. A pair of curved jaws l3 are each provided at one end with an aperture receiving respective fasteners, such as rivets I4, extending through the jaws and through the handles of the corresponding side members. The jaws are crossed over between the side members and each jaw is pivotally connected near its .outer end to a corresponding side member at the outer end of the curved portion of the latter by a respective fastener, such as the rivets l5. In this arrangement, each jaw I3 is connected at one end to one side member intermediate the length of the latter and is pivotally connected to the end of the opposite Side member at a location intermediate the length of the jaw.

This construction provides a plier having apair of jaws which are movable toward and away from each other over an extremely wide range of move ment and in which the two jaws are maintained substantially parallel to each other at all times so that there is substantially no tilting or inclination of one jaw relative to the other.

One of the jaws l3 has on its outer, free end a tapered, outwardly curved finger It for engagement in a spring end receiving aperture in a brake shoe and the other jaw is provided on its outer or free end with a spring hook assembly for engaging a brake spring at or near the end opposite that engaged in the brake shoe aperture in which the tong I6 is received and stretching the spring for applying such opposite end of the spring or removing it from an aperture or spring anchoring pin.

As these brake shoe retracting springs are stiff and strong, considerable difiiculty has been experienced in applying and removing these springs with ordinary tools or special tools now available for this purpose, as the spring end engaged with the anchoring pin or aperture must frequently be turned to a considerable angle and manipulated to bring it into engagement with or remove lated to engage it with the pin or in the aperture whereupon the hook is easily withdrawn from the associated spring loop. The spring is removed from the brake mechanism in an obvious manner by first engaging the finger IS in the brake shoe aperture at one end of the spring and engaging the angularly disposed portion of the hook carried by the other jaw of the plier or tong in the loop at the opposite end of the spring, stretching the spring and removing the hook engaged end thereof from engagement with the brake mechanism.

The spring 43, illustrated in Figure 8, has a coil portion 44, a straight portion or shank 45 extending from at least one end of the coil portion and a narrow loop or eye 46 at the outer end of the shank 45. Intermediate the hook Mi and the coils 44, the shank is provided with an inclined or angularly disposed offset 41. In'applying or removing this type of spring, the portion of the shank between the offset 4'! and the coils 44 is engaged between the angularly disposed portion 26 or 33 of the hook with the offset portion 4'! of the spring bearing against the inclined inner edge 3| or 38 of the spring receiving notch 29 or 31. It will be noted that the side or edge of the notch nearest the pointed end of the angularly disposed portion of the hook is opposed to the offset portion of the spring in both cases to maintain the spring in the notch. With this arrangement as spring stretching pressure is exerted on the handles of the plier H], the hook is pivoted relative to the plier jaw upon which it is mounted and compresses the shank portion of the spring between the angularly disposed portion of the hook and the angularly disposed portion 22 of the bearing plate l8 to firmly grip the spring in the hook assembly of the tool. With the spring so gripped, it is easy to apply the loop 46 to that portion of the brake mechanism to which such end of th spring is anchored.

Regardless of the type of brake shoe retracting spring to be removed or applied, the improved spring hook assembly will firmly engage the spring near its free end so that the free end of the spring can be easily engaged with the brake shoe structure constituting an anchor therefor.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description,and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What I claim:

1. In a brake spring applying tool including a jaw, a spring hook assembly secured to said jaw and comprising a bearing plate having a portion extending along one side of the jaw and a substantially perpendicularly disposed portion overlying the end of the jaw, a flat hook having a shank portion extending along the side of the jaw opposite said bearing plate, and a substantially perpendicularly disposed portion overlying and spaced from the portion of said bearing plate overlying said jaw end, and fasteners securing said bearing plate and said hook to said jaw in operative assembly.

2. In a brake spring tool including a plier device having a jaw, a spring engaging hook assembly for said jaw comprising a bearing plate having a portion extending along one side of the jaw and secured to the latter and an angularly disposed portion overlying the end of the jaw, a hook having a portion extending along the opposite side of the jaw and an angularly disposed portion overlying the angularly disposed portionof said bearing plate, said jaw and the portion of said bearing plate extending along one side of said jaw having spaced apart registering apertures therein and said hook having in the portion thereof extending along said opposite side of said jaw a slot disposed adjacent said angularly disposed portion of the hook and an aperture spaced from said slot, and respective fastening elements extending through said bearing plate, said jaw and said hook securing said bearing plate and said hook in operative assembly with said jaw, said slot providing a limited freedom of pivotal, movement of said hook relative to said jaw for rocking movement of the angularly disposed portion of said hook relative to the angularly disposed portion of said bearing plate.

3. In a brake spring tool including a plier device having a jaw, a spring engaging hook assembly mounted on said jaw and comprising a bearing plate having a portion extending along one side of the jaw and an angularly disposed portion overlying the end of the jaw, a hook having a portion extending along the opposite side of the jaw and an angularly disposed portion overlying the angularly disposed portion of said bearing plate, and means securing said bearing plate and said hook to said jaw for pivotal movement of said hook relative to said jaw, the angularly disposed portion of said hook being outwardly tapered in thickness and Width and having a spring receiving notch therein adjacent the end of said hook portion extending along the side of the jaw.

4. In a brake spring tool including a plier device having a jaw, a spring engaging hook assembly mounted on said jaw and comprising a bearing plate having a portion extending along one side of the jaw and an angularly disposed portion overlying the end of the jaw, a hook having a portion extending along the opposite side of the jaw and an angularly disposed portion overlying the angularly disposed portion of said bearing plate, and means securing said bearing plate and said hook to said jaw for limited pivotal movement of said hook relative to said jaw, the angularly disposed portion of said hook being outwardly tapered in thickness and width and having a rectangular spring receiving notch therein adjacent the end of said hook portion extending along the side of the jaw, said hook having an inclined surface at the inner end of said notch to engage an angularly offset portion of a spring engaged between said hook and said bearing plate.

5. In a brake spring tool including a plier device having a jaw, a spring engaging hook assembly mounted on said jaw and comprising a bearing plate having a portion extending along one side of the jaw and an angularly disposed portion overlying the end of the jaw, a hook having a portion extending along the opposite side of the jaw and an angularly disposed portion overlying and spaced from the angularly disposed portion of said bearing plate, and means securing said bearing plate and said hook to said jaw for limited pivotal movement of said hook relative to said jaw, the angularly disposed portion of said hook being outwardly tapered in thickness and width to provide a pointed outer end and a front edge disposed substantially perpendicular to the 7 jaw, said angularly disposed portion having a spring receiving notch in the front edge thereof.

FRANK J. 'BRUGMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

U'NYE'ED STATES PATENTS Number 8 Name Date Cirves Oct. '25, 1910 Stewart Feb. 7, 1911 Hart Apr. 20, 1926 Altice J1me 7, 1932 ODnnnell July 11, 1933 Hill Dec. 5, 1933 Wood Feb. 27, 1934 Tdllonitsch Mar. 20, 1934 Dyal Apr. .10, 1934 Christian Sept. 14, 1943 Hansen July 5, 1949 

